SUNDERLAND have turned to calves' blood and ground-up cockerel heads in a last-ditch attempt to get striker Kevin Kyle fit for the opening weeks of the Premiership season.

Kyle, who has not kicked a ball in Sunderland's first team for more than 11 months, has spent most of the last week in Germany with Hans Muller Wolfhart, a leading specialist in the field of alternative remedies.

Muller-Wolfhart, who is the official team doctor of the German FA, has been treating the Scotland international for the long-standing hip problem that has threatened to curtail his career.

The Munich-based specialist has established a reputation for developing bizarre homeopathic injections containing calves' blood and the comb from a cockerel's head, and has even boasted of injecting honey directly into a diseased joint.

The extent of Kyle's treatment is not yet clear but, after an operation and a series of orthodox injections failed to clear up the striker's problem, McCarthy is hoping his latest spell overseas may enable him to return to training later this month.

"Kyler's been to Muller-Wolfhart for treatment," confirmed the Black Cats boss. "He's back now and we'll have a chat to him to see what's been said and find out what happens next.

"He's been having treatment over there, but exactly what that is I'm not party to. He (Wolfhart) has a certain way of doing things and he's highly respected.

"He's had a look at him and given him treatment of sorts. We'll see if he's fit to play or train. I'm not sure if that's the case - we'll see the next course of action over the next couple of days."

By spending time with Muller-Wolfhart, Kyle has joined a star-studded client list that already includes Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Paula Radcliffe, Daley Thompson, Maurice Greene and Darren Gough.

Cricketer Gough, who starred in England's recent one-day series with Australia, still travels to Germany once a month and now swears by his doctor's use of alternative techniques.

"I was sceptical, like most people," said Gough. "But I went to Munich, he looked at my scans and gave me some injections of Hylart - a fluid drawn from compressing the comb on a cockerel's head.

"He said 'If you have a Ferrari, you don't put cheap oil in it'. The same applies to athletes. I'm the tin man - I go to see him for an oiling every month."

McCarthy is still desperately hoping Kyle recovers to play a part in Sunderland's return to the top-flight but, tellingly, the former Republic of Ireland boss last night referred to recent arrival Andy Gray as his side's new "target man".

Gray will make his Black Cats debut against Charlton tomorrow just three days after completing a £1.1m switch from Sheffield United.

The 27-year-old possesses neither the frame nor the physical power of the imposing Kyle but, after tracking the former Leeds attacker for the best part of two years, McCarthy is confident he can fill a similar role in the Sunderland side.

Chris Brown was asked to play as the Black Cats' lead striker in the second half of last season and, while the youngster could not be faulted for effort, he often seemed uncomfortable playing with his back to goal.

Gray should be far more happy leading the line and, with the likes of Brown, Jon Stead and Stephen Elliott to play off him, McCarthy now feels he has the full range of options he was denied last term.

"Andy gives us something different," claimed the Black Cats boss, who has already settled on his starting XI for tomorrow's Premiership opener. "He's probably a better target man than I had to call on before.

"We want as many options up front as possible and I think we've got that now. He's a good, clever player who gets goals and holds the ball up well.

"The other lads can probably play off him better than they can with anybody else we've got at this moment in time."

l French striker Djibril Cisse has dismissed as ''stupid people'' the CSKA Sofia fans who subjected him to a torrent of racial abuse during Liverpool's Champions League victory in Bulgaria.

Cisse had to listen to offensive chants for much of the second half of Liverpool's 3-1 win over CSKA in the third qualifying round first leg.

Cisse admitted: ''It's hurtful when it happens but there are a lot of stupid people sometimes at these matches. And as a player you can't do anything about it.''

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